Flowering Tea, blooming right it is....

Flowering tea, blooming tea or even display tea are all names for tea that is tied together that unfurls into a visually attractive display.  They are usually steeped in a glass pot, so you can see it unfurl.  Tend to be white or green tea from the Yunnan area with mild flavoring flowers (chrysanthemum, jasmine, carnation, marigold, calendula, and osmanthus) inside the bundle.  They try to be visually gorgeous with colorful names like True Love Flower Tea, Royal Lily Flower Tea, Two Dragons and a Pearl Flower Tea, and Spring Marigold Flower Tea (the flowering teas I have at my place).  

I just recently learned that some people think that flowering tea is a recent invention from the 1980s.  Before hearing that I was told that it is of more ancient origins.  That tea was hand tied in intricate patterns to unfurl for emperors, special family occasions and other important events in China.  It was for display only and the tea was not typically drunk.  The tea tended to be from cheaper or inferior tea, the reason for not drinking the tea.  Only recently has the quality of the tea gotten better.

When I went to one of my tea classes to become a certified tea specialist we tried a flowering tea and was surprised on the quality of the tea.  The teacher of the class mentioned how the flowering teas typically were of lower quality, but she was also surprised that this flowering tea was pretty good. She assumed that since people were actually drinking the teas now that better quality tea would be used by some companies.  It made sense to me.

Brrrrrrr, Fall officially starts today & I need some hot tea.

It is getting colder and the days are getting shorter, one of my go to choices for Fall days is the Jade Oolong from Rishi tea and yes I do buy tea from Rishi for my tea house.  No matter what, I would seek out a oolong tea that is closer to a green tea that is my favorite tea type.  Jasmine and green teas are also some of my favorite teas, so the Jade Oolong is a natural choice for me.  Jade Oolong tea has a nice floral taste to it, which I love.  Though out of Rishi Teas I like the name of another tea the best.  How can you hate the name Iron Goddess of Mercy?  It just sounds cool and isn't bad either, but not my first choice.  Jade Oolong is.  Ok, many teas have cool names Monkey Picked Oolong, Longevity Eyebrow, etc....  Still just love the name Iron Goddess of Mercy.

Fruit Tarts

Mini Fruit Tarts make life a little more bearable, at least for me.

I recently made some fruit tarts with a lemon curd base and a nutella base.  The lemon curd ones have the blueberries and the nutella ones have strawberries.  The crust is a basic pie crust.  They tasted pretty good.

Hot Tea Baps Super Bug on the Nose

Read an article a few days ago about people who drink hot tea and coffee have less of a chance of MRSA in the nose (one way that doctors can detect MRSA) .  It was mentioned 50% less likely.  Iced tea does not have a significant effect.  It is only one study and not sure other factors are involved, but it is intriguing.

Also did a little reading about MRSA, because I am pretty ignorant about it.  It sounds kind of nasty and people with weak immune systems, the young, elderly, intravenous drug users and people who live in close quarters are the most susceptible.  It is resistant to penicillins and many other antibiotics (the reason why it is called a super bug).


Kinda interested what in hot tea helps ward off MRSA?  There are some antimicrobial properties in tea, but as the article states there are even more in antibiotics that do not work on MRSA.  I guess maybe it does not matter how many antimicrobial properties as long as you have the right ones?  Just a guess because I am not a doctor or scientist. Not conclusive, but well worth more studies to find out why hot tea and coffee have this effect, if at all.  It would be great to learn that just drinking hot tea would help lessen the effect of MRSA. 


So cheers to you with your hot tea :) 

What should I write....

Been so busy lately trying to open my place that I haven't been writing as frequently.  My goal is to write at least 1-2 times a week for the summer.  Hopefully by Fall things will be less hectic and I can get back to writing at least 3 times a week.  My goal is to write 3-4 times a week, but so far the 4 times has been rare and 3 times was happening on a pretty consistent basis until a couple weeks ago.  Also been having a hard time this week of thinking of something to write.  I do not want this whole blog to be about my tea house, but some interesting stuff about tea with some cooking and gardening thrown in too.  The irony is I am starting to get a few more people visiting the site.  Hope I can maintain if not increase it :)

Tea Plantation and becoming certified tea specialist trip, part 7 the end

Part 7  Tea, tea and more tea please the final part

I have to say I had a great time and wished there was more time to explore Charleston.  I found a great shop that is part of the inspiration for my teashop, Lesesne http://www.shoplesesne.com/ and ate food at some incredible places.

Me touching a tea branch and leaf.

Tea flower

Our bus back to Charleston.

Bye bye!

Father's Day myth started

My dad currently lives in San Diego, so I will not be celebrating the day with him.   


I tried to look up any interesting information about Father's Day, but could only find information that said in the early 1900s Mrs. Grace Golden Clayton celebrated it in Fairmont, West Virginia and Sonora Dodd is credited with the holiday becoming an official holiday in the United States.  No history about myths and legends.  It seems more recent in origin. 
So maybe I should start a myth about Father's Day?  What should it be about?  If it were my dad it would have Clint Eastwood in it and Julia Roberts or Reese Witherspoon.  He likes action and romance (he's Polish, who are known as the romantics of the North).  My dad was raised on a farm, so I got my love of gardening from him and he does drink tea (need to have the myth center around at least 2 of my 3 things I talk about in my blog).  
So hhhm here we go.  Ok, still trying to think.  Clint is a west coast/cowboy type of guy and we need him in something several hundred years ago.  For some reason Reese seems more period piece and dad really likes her more right now, so she's the main gal/love interest in this myth.  Maybe Clint as a Marco Polo type guy?  That at least makes it early enough to give it legend or myth like qualities.  Marco Polo also was in China and probably was in some rural areas where tea and gardening was happening.  We can make Marco a bad ass for dad's sake. 
Here we go.  You see Father's Day all started when Marco Polo (Clint Eastwood) went to the Wuyi Mountains in China to discover the origin of a magic elixir he had in Bagdad called tea.  He traveled far and wide to find the source of this exlixir.  He traveled to Ormuz and no luck.  He went to Karakorum and still no luck.  He went to Beijing where at least he was able to find some clues and a general direction.  Upon getting to Hangchow city after severals years of roaming he was warned that an evil man (Steve Buscemi, dad likes how he plays slimy guys so well)  illegally ruled the Wuyi mountains and is holding the rightful and just ruler's (Denzel Washington, dad likes him) daughter hostage (Reese Witherspoon).  The just ruler, Puer-eh offered vast sums of money to anyone who freed his daughter, Oolong.  Thousands died trying to save her and it had been several years since anyone tried.  Marco Polo heard all the stories about how the evil man, Coffee would torture the men who were only trying to save Oolong.  None of these stories dissuade Marco, he just said "I'm a badass!"  
In the meantime Puer-eh was at his wits end and was even going to try to save her himself.  This is when Marco Polo walks in the door and says, "I will save your daughter".  
Upon reaching the Wuyi Mountains Marco Polo sees a fireworks display and gets the idea to make a makeshift device that would use this gunpowder, he called it a gun.  Tons of gun fighting ensues or at least Marco does the gun fighting.  Since this weapon was never used before, Marco Polo was easily able to defeat Coffee and his army himself.  He is also able to rescue Oolong and return her to her father.  Puer-eh was so happy that his daughter was safe that he offered vast sums of money and his kingdom to Marco for saving his daughter, but Marco refused and only wanted to know more about the magic elixir called tea. His only other request was that Oolong escort him while he was learning about tea.  This seemed like such a small request that the daughter and ruler were happy to oblige.  Oolong escorted Marco to the tea growing areas and showed him the process of tea making.  During this time she became smitten with this just and kind man.  He had saved her life and could have anything he wanted, but all he wanted was to learn about tea and maybe look at the beautiful Oolong.  They slowly fell in love.  After Marco learned all he could about tea, he asked Puer-eh for his daughters hand in marriage.  Puer-eh saw how in love both Marco and Oolong were and was very happy to give his daughter to this kind man.  During the wedding ceremony they ate noodles to celebrate the festive occasion (the original spaghetti western).  Puer-eh gave the new couple a large tract of land to grow tea as a wedding gift.  


The new couple lived a happy life with many children on this tea farm.  They experimented with new ways to process tea until Puer-eh fell ill.  Marco and Oolong rushed to the ruler's bed to comfort him until he died.  Puer-eh praised Marco for saving his daughter and for saving his country from Coffee.  He also mentioned that he was worried about his country and wanted another just ruler to take his place.  Marco would hear nothing of it at first, he knew what Puer-eh was driving at.  Marco was completely happy on his tea farm with his family, but he also knew that a few of the Puer-eh's unsavory relatives were vying for the chance to rule the country.  So after a couple days Marco relented and told Puer-eh that he would rule the kingdom after Puer-eh dies.  Sadly Puer-eh dies soon afterwards.  
Shortly after Puer-eh's burial Marco is pronounced king.  The first decree Marco makes after his inauguration is to declare a new holiday to celebrate Puer-eh and all fathers who are just and kind.  He wanted the holiday to be June 19th to honor Puer-eh's birthday.  His second decree is to banish all Coffee from his kingdom (this is why Chinese people drink tea instead of coffee).  
Marco's life is good until one day Oolong has a particular hard labor and dies.  Marco is so distraught that soon after she is buried, he tells his oldest son (Mark Wallberg) that he is now king.  Once Lapsong Souchong, the oldest son is inaugrated Marco slips away one night.  He heads back to Venice to forget his life in China.  He tells the Venetians about his travels and the many things he learned, except anything having to do with tea and the Wuyi Mountains.  The one exception was the holiday called Father's Day.  He mentioned that the Chinese celebrate a holiday for fathers on the third week in June, he does not mention that he created the holiday.  The Venetians decide to adopt the holiday as one of their own.  
Marco eventually settles down and marries again, not even telling his second wife about his first wife.  Little does Marco know what a big influence he and his Chinese family were to tea.  Many tea names come from his family and coffee was never a big drink in China.